We Own Adventure

Scouting News for the DC Metro Area

Archives for November 2019

Neighborhood Impact of Scouting for Food in Brookland by Pack and Troop 98

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Over the first two weekends of November, Scouts of St. Anthony of Padua’s Church of Pack and Troop 98 in the Brookland neighborhood of Washington, D.C. were busy participating in the annual “Scouting for Food” service project.

On the first day, the Scouts collected over 1,350 pounds of food donations for the St. Anthony’s Bread/St. Vincent de Paul Emergency Food Pantry. Check out these great before and after photos from Saturday morning.

If you want to learn more about scouting at St. Anthony’s visit www.bsa98dc.org

Hornaday Badge Project “Evicting the Invaders”

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Approximately 5000 sq ft of invasive plant on the Gerry Connolly Cross County Trail.

Every Saturday and Sunday in October, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, college students, and neighborhood homeowners pulled invasive plants, primarily, pachysandra, from a section of the Gerry Connolly Cross County Trail off Miller Heights Road in Oakton. Eli Edwards, a Scout in BSA Troop 987 led the project with support from Hornaday advisor Sara Holtz and sponsor Fairfax County Park Authority’s Invasive Management Area (IMA) program. Invasive plants are non-native, aggressive plants that cause ecological or economic harm and degrade our natural ecosystem.

99 volunteers worked 210 hours to remove 85 bags of invasive plants from the park land. The goal was to replace the pachysandra with native plants and trees. Volunteers planted white wood aster, hairy bush clover, American alumroot, trailing bush clover, dwarf cinquefoil, pussytoes, arrowleaf violet, common wood rush, Pennsylvania sedge, bluestem,

Replace invasive plant with 110 native plants and trees.

goldenrod, arrowwood viburnum, witch hazel, hazelnut trees, ironwood trees, and redbud trees. Eli created the plan for this project in order to earn the BSA Hornaday Badge. This award was created by Dr. William T. Hornaday who was a conservationist and is a prestigious award that requires a Scout to lead a conservation project, complete several merit badges, and meet rank requirements. By successfully completing this project he is one step closer to earning the Boy Scout Hornaday Badge. Eli encourages homeowners to remove any invasive plants in your yard and replace with native plants (see list above).

– Eli Edwards

Duty to God Interfaith Brunch Brings all Together

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On November 3rd, 2019 many gathered for the the Duty to God Interfaith Brunch, at the newly refreshed John Mosby Russell Interfaith Chapel at Camp Snyder to celebrate Scout Fellowship and Interfaith diagloue. The free event began with a model Interfaith Campfire Worship Service humbly led by Scouts. The brunch included a “Duty to God” youth seminar, presentations of youth and adult awards, the “A Scout is Reverent” midway featuring local faith-based sponsors of Scouting programs and special words from Keynote Speaker Brig. Gen. Ron Harvell, USAF, Deputy Chief of USAF Chaplains.

ADAMS Center Youth Choir singing “America the Beautiful” to participants at the brunch.
Scout Executive Craig Poland and Forrest Horton present Brig. Gen. Ron Harvell with Camp Snyder Hiking Staff for serving as keynote speaker 3.

Brig. Gen. Ron Harvell, USAF, Deputy Chief of USAF Chaplains, serving as Keynote Speaker for NCAC Duty to God Brunch.
Eagle Scout Mikaeel Martinez- Jaka addressing participants at Duty to God Interfaith Youth Seminar.

An “A-Neigh-Zing” Eagle Project!

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Check out this “a-neigh-zing” Eagle project! Bryce Treichel constructed an ADA Compliant Disability ramp for horse riders! He and his team of volunteers designed and constructed the massive structure to allow those with disabilities to be able to ride horses. His wheelchair accessible ramp allowed anyone who had trouble walking or climbing stairs to be able to mount a horse. The equestrian field he built it for offers special therapeutic horse riding sessions for those with disabilities. Bryce loved leading the project, he found that when “Everyone as a team successfully accomplished something under my supervision,” he “felt extraordinary.” Bryce’s eagle project helped give those with mobility issues and disabilities the ability to ride horses. Who will your eagle project serve?

Teaching Scouts to Save

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Download Westie's Save, Spend & Share Jar Labels

NCAC is partnering with Northwest Financial Credit Union to provide tools you can use with your Scouts to discuss financial literacy. Watch for future articles to help teach children about saving, budgeting, and more! As the Scout Law says, A Scout is Thrifty!

One might ask, when is the right age for children to learn about saving? Some may say parents should start teaching their kids about the importance of money as early as age two. Some say parents should let children be children and not worry about real-life matters, such as finances. You can teach your children to save money at almost any age, just by following these tips:

No Spoiling

Be careful not to give in to your children every time they ask for toys and gifts. Many parents have their children earn rewards instead of getting things just because they asked for it. If they have to earn something, they are more likely to appreciate its value.

Use Jars to Save

A fun way to help your children save money is to use piggy banks or jars. Using clear jars will give a visual of how much money is piling up and how close they are getting to meeting their savings goal.

Set an Example Through Actions

Our kids learn from us. If they see us doing something, the likelihood they will also do it is high. If your children see you purchasing excessively, they might think that this is a normal part of life.

Start a Savings Account for Them

Open savings accounts for your children as early as possible. It will help you teach them the importance of saving for something special and how to earn dividends.

Credit Cards are Loans

It’s important to teach your kids about loans and debt. Teach them to respect credit cards, how they work and that credit cards are loans.

Allowance vs. Commission

Instead of just giving children a monthly allowance, you could pay them commission in return for doing chores. Money in return for mowing the lawn, doing the dishes, cleaning their room, doing the laundry, and other chores, will help teach them it can be hard work to earn money.

Talk to Them

The best way to get the message about saving money across is by talking to your children. Nothing works better than telling children about the advantages of savings. Teach them what they can do with their savings and how it’s beneficial to save as early as possible. If you help your children to understand the importance of money early, they will develop smart savings habits to use as adults.

Make your own Save, Spend, and Share Savings Jars with Westie! ww.nwfcu.org/youth

NCAC Update: Council’s Insurance Fee Reduced

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National Capital Area Council’s executive officers have approved reduction of the Council’s insurance fee from $6 to $2 per youth or adult member.

Previously, NCAC has charged an insurance recovery fee of $6 per member at unit recharter time. This covered general liablity insurance from the Boy Scouts of America’s national organization, as well as accident and sickeness insurance at local events and unit meetings.

Following BSA’s announcement that the updated membership fee includes liability insurance, our local council is decreasing our insurance fee effective immediately. The remaining $2 will be collected during rechartering and will cover local sickness and accident insurance, as well as insurance fees. Additionally, Council leadership continues to review other steps that can be taken to ensure finances are not a barrier to participation in Scouting.

Thank you for your continued dedication to our Scouts!

YIS,

John H. Graham
Council President
Craig Poland
Scout Executive
Roy “Rick” Rogers
Council Commissioner